The great, the mad and the ugly: Welcome to the world's weirdest sports

Becoming a professional rugby league, cricket or football player is a competitive business. Give yourself the best chance of going pro by picking an unusual sport. Greatness never looked so strange.

Bed racing

The most famous — yes, famous — bed racing event is held in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, and has been since 1966. Being England, the race has been rained off twice, but has otherwise endured — and even spawned offshoot races across the globe. The rules are simple — six runners and one 'passenger' (wearing a helmet and lifejacket) get their outrageously decorated bed around the course, with the best teams doing it in less than 15 minutes. Think you've got what it takes? Entries open soon for the 2017 event, and like many of the sports in this article, money raised goes to a good cause.

If you thought chores were boring then, well, you're right. But for its followers extreme ironing isn't a chore, it's a way of life — whether at the peak of a mountain or under the sea no place is off limits to pursue a flattened fabric.The rules are simple – the iron must be hot, and the location must be extreme. After that, it's up to you. From its humble beginnings in 1997 in the English city of Leicester, this odd sport branched out to have its own World Championship held in Munich in 2002. It's been 'full steam ahead' ever since.

Wales may not have tropical reefs, but it does have an abundance of bog. Working with what's available, Bog Snorkelling has become a showpiece event in the village of Llanwrtyd Wells, and is now franchised across the world. In addition to the gross-factor, the 120-yard dash — or splash — is made all the more challenging by freezing cold water and the banning of conventional swimming strokes. Bog Snorkelling is just one event in the bi-annual World Alternative Games, and forgetting your wetsuit won't be an excuse for not competing.

Some sports do just what they say on the tin. You like cycling? You like water? Well then this could be your ticket to the podium. The Underwater Bike Race event is held annually in North Carolina. It's a mere $5 to enter, so there's no excuse. The challenge is racing your bike along the side of sunken warship USS Indra, while fully laden with scuba gear. You can push, pull and of course pedal your steed — but no motorised help allowed. A watered-down version known as 'aquaspinning' is becoming popular in American gyms, with participants cycling on sunken stationary bikes, keeping their heads above the waves. We reckon this sport might just catch on.

One weird sport is good, but 10 weird sports are better. Originally held in the US state of Georgia (where else?), The Redneck Games includes events like toilet seat throwing, mud-pit belly flop and bobbing for pig's trotters. Contestants compete for trophies, and more importantly the respect of their peers. Sadly, the original Redneck Games is currently on hiatus, but if you've got a hunger for glory and pig's feet there are copycat events aplenty. We hope it's back soon.

Curling — the sport in which teams slide a stone along some ice, brushing ahead to reduce friction — is not esoteric enough for some. Every year in Ithaca, New York, the International Rutabaga Curling Championship attracts glory-seekers hoping for the coveted first-place prize. Contestants roll their rutabaga — a vegetable like a turnip or swede — towards a circular target, while spectators 'root' for their champion. Next year will be the event's 20th anniversary — what better time to roll up and try your luck?

If a South African challenges you to a game of 'Bokdrol Spoeg', think carefully before accepting. The rules to this sport are simple and disgusting. One: place a pellet of kudu (a type of antelope) dung in your mouth. Still with us? Two: spit it as far as you can (this should probably be your natural reaction). The winner is the one who spits their dung the furthest. We know what you're going to ask, and yes — the roll counts. This sport is popular enough to have an official competition, so if injury has kept you off the footy field here's an outlet for your competitive yearnings — just remember to brush your teeth afterwards.